(a) Field
The present invention relates generally to a manufacturing system of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) for a fuel cell, and particularly to a heat treatment device of a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell for heat treating a membrane-electrode assembly.
(b) Description of the Related Art
As known in the art, a fuel cell produces electricity by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The fuel cell is characterized by being continuously developed due to a chemical reactant supplied from the outside without a separate charging process.
The fuel cell may be configured by disposing separators (separating plates or bipolar plates) at both sides thereof with a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) interposed therebetween.
The membrane-electrode assembly forms an anode layer and a cathode layer as electrode catalyst layers at both sides thereof, based on an electrolyte membrane in which hydrogen ions move. In addition, the membrane-electrode assembly includes sub-gaskets protecting the electrode catalyst layers and the membrane, and securing assembly of the fuel cell.
According to a method of manufacturing the membrane-electrode assembly as described above, an electrode membrane sheet is manufactured by releasing a membrane wound in a roll form, releasing a release film wound in a roll form made by continuously coating the electrode catalyst layers, and passing the electrolyte membrane and the release film through a roll press so that the electrode catalyst layers are adhered under high temperature and high pressure on both surfaces of the membrane.
In addition, a membrane-electrode assembly sheet is manufactured by releasing the sub-gaskets rolled in a roll form so as to be positioned on both surfaces of an electrode membrane sheet, and passing the sub-gaskets through a hot roller so that the sub-gaskets are adhered to edges of the electrode membrane sheet.
After these above-described processes are performed, the membrane-electrode assembly sheet wound in a roll form is allowed to be released, and to be cut in a unit form including the electrode catalyst layers, thereby completing manufacture of the membrane-electrode assembly.
However, since a continuous adhesion process of the electrode catalyst layers is possibly performed, and a process rate is fast in a process of manufacturing the electrode membrane sheet by adhering the electrode catalyst layers on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane in a roll-press manner as described above, mass-production is easily made but interfacial adhesion force of the electrode catalyst layers and the electrolyte membrane is not sufficient.
Generally, in the membrane-electrode assembly, as adhesion of border portions between the electrode catalyst layers and the electrolyte membrane is improved, performance and durability become excellent. However, when separation occurs at the border portions of the electrode catalyst layers and the electrolyte membrane since the interfacial adhesion force between the electrode catalyst layers and the electrolyte membrane is not sufficient, performance and durability of the membrane-electrode assembly may be reduced.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.